Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Idaho
Up next: Wildcats begin road trip at Idaho Thursday
2/13/2024 4:25:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Weber State has won four-straight games and plays the next three games on the road.
• With a four-game winning streak, Weber State hits the road for the next three games beginning Thursday night at Idaho.
• The Wildcats and Vandals will tipoff at 6 p.m. Pacific time (7 p.m. Mountain) on Thursday night from the ICCU Arena in Moscow. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. Weber State radio coverage with Steve Klauke will be on 103.1 FM "The Wave". Live stats available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
• Weber State is 16-9 overall and 7-5 in Big Sky play, currently tied for third in the league standings. The Wildcats have won four-straight games, the longest streak in the Big Sky, and are coming off a 58-53 win over Sacramento State Saturday night.
Idaho is 9-15 overall and 3-8 in Big Sky play. WSU beat Idaho 88-65 on January 20 in Ogden.
• Dillon Jones led the Wildcats in scoring for the 16th time this season with 21 points in Saturday's win over Sacramento State, and had five assists and three steals and was 7 of 9 from the field. Jones leads the Wildcats in points, rebounds, assists, and steals, and ranks sixth in the nation with 15 double-doubles. He has scored in double figures in all 24 games this season and has scored 20 or more points 12 times, including the last four and five of the last six. He is also third in the nation in defensive rebounds and 24th in the country in overall rebounds. He ranks second in the conference in points, rebounds, and assists. He is also first in the league and 11th in the nation in minutes per game and also ranks third in the conference in steals and fourth in field goal percentage and free throw percentage.
• Jones is one of four players in the nation currently averaging at least 19 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game. He is WSU's all-time leader in steals, and ranks second in assists, third in rebounds, seventh in scoring and fifth in free throws. He is also fifth in Big Sky history in career rebounds. Jones is the only active player in the country and the only player in Big Sky history with at least 1,500 career points, 1,000 rebounds, 350 assists, and 150 steals.
• Alex Tew had one of his top games of the season as he finished with eight points, eight rebounds, and had a career-high five steals in Saturday's win. Tew leads the Big Sky in field goal percentage at 61.7 percent. He has started all 24 games for the Wildcats this season and is eighth in the Big Sky in blocks.
• Senior Steven Verplancken added 12 points in Saturday's win and scored in double figures for the 17th time this season. Verplancken is second on the team scoring at 11.9 points per game and leads the team with 56 3-pointers. He is fifth in the conference in 3-pointers per game at 2.2.
• Weber State leads the Big Sky in scoring defense, scoring margin, 3-point defense percentage, and turnover margin. The Wildcats are 12-1 this season when leading in field goal percentage and 4-8 when trailing. The 'Cats are also 13-2 when leading at halftime and 1-7 when trailing. Weber State is also 14-1 when scoring 70 or more points and 11-3 when holding opponents under 70 points.
• Idaho enters Saturday's game at 9-15 overall and 3-8 in Big Sky play, ninth in the league standings. The Vandals started out Big Sky play at 1-7 before winning two-straight games over Montana State and Sacramento State. They are coming off an 87-79 loss at Eastern Washington on Saturday. Julius Mims is fourth in the conference in rebounding and leads the conference in blocks at 1.6 per game.
The Vandals are coached by Alex Pribble who is in his first year as head coach.
• Weber State rolled to an 88-65 win over Idaho on January 20 in Ogden. The game was tied at halftime but Weber State outscored the Vandals 53-30 in the second half. WSU shot 50 percent from the field and made 10 3-pointers. They also outrebounded the Vandals 37-21 and had four players in double figures. Blaise Threatt had a career-high 24 points and Dyson Koehler had a career-high 23 points. Dillon Jones had 14 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists and was 10 of 10 from the free throw line.
• Weber State holds a 64-25 all-time lead and has won three straight and 10 of the last 11 against the Vandals, including earlier this year. WSU 12-5 against the Vandals since Idaho returned the Big Sky in 2015.
In games in Moscow, WSU is 26-18 all-time and has won five of the last six games.
• After Thursday, WSU will play at Eastern Washington on Saturday at 2 p.m. Pacific time (3 p.m. MT), then have just one game next week, at Idaho State on February 24.
